It only took two hours this time for Annallya to find the spot where she had first encountered Gaelin. Then, just as she had been doing for the past week, she went off in a random direction, hoping to come across the man again. Or, better yet, come across the village he had claimed was somewhere near by. She had been doing this for more than a week, and was now beginning to feel as if she were learning how to ghost her way through the forest. It was fun, even, trying to mimic the animals and pretend like she was a predator searching for her prey. Unfortunately, this was getting her no closer to the village, at least not that she could see.

Annallya sighed. After so many days of wandering among the trees this was past frustrating, it was downright disappointing. No sign of a village, not a whisper from that man Gaelin, and not even a glimpse of another human. She was not yet prepared to give up, the problem was that she was running out of optimism. But with hours of daylight still ahead, there was nothing left to do but press on. After about another hour of stalking quietly through the brush and forest growth, Annallya caught sight of something she had not noticed before. A thin trail of smoke rising through the trees. Her breath caught, this could be the sign of human civilization she had been searching for. Wasting no time at all, Annallya took off in the direction of the smoke, trying to maintain a degree of stealth despite her quickened pace. After almost two minutes she emerged into a clearing.

The clearing was not very big, and most of it’s space was occupied by a hut. Annallya knew no other word to describe the structure. It was bigger than a simple hut, but far too small to be any sort of house. And its design was unlike any house she had ever seen before. In Thylara, most homes were rectangular and made entirely out of stone. This house, despite being rectangular in shape, was made of nothing but wood! Beams of solid wood had been carved and connected together to form the frame of the house, while the walls were nothing more than wooden planks nailed together. In fact, the only bit of stone on the house was a small imitation of a tower on the left side of the house. The windows were shielded by cut squares of glass, so that one could see through them while remaining protected from the elements. Ingenious! In Thylara, windows were left uncovered, save for the shutters built into the walls to serve a similar purpose. Outside of the house was a wooden rack that held a number of animal pelts. Each pelt had been cleaned out and was now drying off in the midday sun. Nearby, a number of clothes hung suspended on a line running between to poles, also left to dry. On the side of the clearing opposite of the pelts and clothes was a lit fire pit, giving off small trickles of white smoke. Suspended securely over the fire was a pot with some sort of broth stewing. That was what had given off the line of smoke. Still, it had lead Annallya to this place. Perhaps she will have the chance to speak with a human after all. There was nothing about this house to identify who it was that resided within, so Annallya crept nervously up to the door and knocked. There was no answer, not even a sound of response. After trying again, she leaned over to the nearest window and peered inside.

SMACK!

Annallya almost jumped out of her skin as the arrow embedded itself in a wooden beam a foot away from her. Turning around as quickly as she could, drawing her knife at the same time, she breathlessly watched as Gaelin lowered his bow. Just as before, he wore his black coat, with the hood drawn back this time, allowing a fuller view of his face. Without the shadows of the hood falling over his face, Gaelin looked a great deal less sinister and haunting than before. Those eyes of his, though, had not changed. They were still as cold and frightening as the first time they had met.

“How’d you find my home?” he asked in that deep, quiet voice.

“By accident,” Annallya breathed. She was still struggling to regain her composure after that shock. “I am sorry. I did not mean to intrude.”

The way the man stood unmoving before her, reminded Annallya of a true predator. He never raised the bow again, yet he never let go of the weapon. “I told you what I’d do if I saw you again. Why’d you come back?”

“I have likewise explained to you,” she replied, gathering her courage back up. “I wish to meet a human.”

“Well you found one. Now, what're you going to do?”

Annallya had to steel herself. Gaelin frightened her, that much was obvious. He had already demonstrated how easily he could have killed her. But, at the same time, he knew that she was a Titan and what it was she was capable of. It is very likely that he was as afraid of her as she was of him. All of the fear and confusion Annallya had just been feeling, leaked out of her as she exhaled. The Titan dropped slowly to one knee, unslung the parcel she had been carrying over one shoulder, and unwrapped it. With nothing but sheer force of will, Annallya forced herself to look Gaelin in the eye, as she presented the wooden practice sword she had made to him.

“I come before you, Gaelin Val’ Saida, humbled and in need of your guidance.” she declared. “I beseech you to teach me the ways of the sword, as you have done for others.”

Starting from when the Titan had genuflected on one knee, Gaelin’s eyes grew wider with every word. He gazed upon the bundle of wooden sticks in her hands as if they were snakes, ready to strike at his hands. When his eyes returned to Annallya, the entirety of his expression transformed. He looked upon the human sized Titan as if seeing a corpse come back to life. His face grew bone pale, and he mouthed words too quiet for Annallya to properly understand. Then, in an abrupt instant, his body sprang back into motion, striding with great haste for his hut.

“Take that blazing bundle of sticks and get off my land.” he swore while walking past her.

“Please Gaelin, you must listen to me. I am in great need of your help.” Annallya pleaded as she stood up.

“Leave.” he answered back, slamming the door of his hut. The door hit the frame with such force, it rebounded and slowly swung itself back open. Annallya took this as a poor excuse to stand in his now open doorway, and observe the home of a human. Considering how small the outside of the hut looked, Annallya should not have been surprised to find that the inside was just as humble, yet she was. Annallya was used to seeing rooms such as kitchens, dining rooms, and lounge rooms, but usually they were kept separate. In Gaelin’s house these rooms all occupied the same space. To her right was a shabby wooden table and a single chair, obviously for dining. Beyond that was a small living space, complete with a lounging chair, a simple rug, and a fireplace. Next to the fireplace was a doorway left open, allowing a glimpse at the bed inside. On the wall was a single shelf that held a small number of books. That shocked Annallya more than anything else. She had grown accustomed to being surrounded by books for the entirety of her life. The many large shelves in her room were packed with books of all types, purposed for educating her into becoming the future advisor of the next Queen. Finally, to her left was a small yet complete kitchen. Gaelin stood by one of the cabinets at his kitchen, swiftly taking sips from a bottle of a drink Annallya had never seen before. In Thylara, Titans only drank water. Whatever this concoction was, it had a golden hue to it, and smelt rather strong yet not unpleasant.

“I said leave,” he repeated to her.

“I only ask that you hear my request.” Annallya implored. “I do not come to you under any pretense or falsehood. I sincerely need your tutelage, Gaelin Val’ Saida.”

“Well I ain’t interested in helping a Titan out.” he answered back, taking another swig. “Now go.”

By now, the fear Annallya had begun to feel in his presence had evaporated, and was swiftly being replaced by frustration. Annallya crossed her arms over her breasts as she gazed at him, wondering if she had made a great mistake in assuming he was capable of teaching her.

“Forgive my words,” she began. “for I know very little of men. Are they as equally stubborn as you?”

“I pride myself on being more stubborn than most,” he retorted. By now Gaelin had taken the bottle and began to move about his little hut, setting down his quiver, unstringing his bow, and taking occasional sips from that strange liquid. “Let’s say for a minute that I believe you. Why come to me? Don’t you Titans have barbarians of your own that spend their whole lives fighting and killing?”

“A friend of yours instructed me to seek you out.” she answered with a small level of heat in her voice.

If Gaelin felt it, though, he let it slide right off of him with a grunt. “I don’t got any friends. Especially not Titan friends.”

Annallya stepped back as Gaelin exited the house to check back on the broth that was still simmering. Taking out a ladle, he tasted the broth, reached into a pouch at his belt for some herbs, tossed them into the pot, and stirred it around.

Annallya watched disbelieving as the man took another gulp from his bottle. “I have been told that a bottle is a home for no man.”

Upon hearing those words, Gaelin lowed the bottle from his lips, and he turned to stare suspiciously at the Titan before him. “What did you say?” he asked.

“I said that I have been told that a bottle is a home for no man.” she obligingly repeated.

“Who told you that?” Gaelin asked.

“A mutual friend of ours,” Annallya answered. “Named Andrill.”

This time the bottle slipped right through his fingers, as Gaelin stood frozen before her. Very slowly, he began to walk towards her, causing the fear to return as swiftly as it had left. “Andrill?” he whispered. “Andrill’s alive!”

Annallya swallowed hard, wondering if it was wise to mention a friend of his that may or may not have been taken from his home by mistake. Never-the-less, she had come this far, she was not about to back away in fear now. So she nodded at the taller man. “He is living in Thylara. He is being well taken care of.”

“You’re sure of this?” he asked rather intensely, barely managing to keep hold of his conflicting emotions.

“He is being well fed and cared for. This I have seen for myself.” she answered. Annallya had decided in that moment that it would be best to not tell Gaelin that she had been keeping Andrill as a pet in her room. Or that he was now no longer in her own care but her mother’s. There was too much that she could not properly explain, and Gaelin already had plenty of reason to distrust her. Perhaps with more time, he could come to understand the truth and not hate her. Until then, that was a secret best saved for the future. “We have spoken often with each other. He is kind to me, and I to him. Andrill was the one who bade me to seek you out for guidance. And it was him that requested I give you that message.”

Gaelin bowed his head. “That sounds like Andrill. Always willing to see the best in others. Even if they’re a-” He cast his eyes up as he realized that he had been about to say ‘even if they’re a Titan’. Instead he cast one last suspicious glance at the Titan in front of him. “What did he look like when you met him?”

Annallya nodded, as she had expected a question like that. “When I had shrunken down to human size he stood as tall as I am. Which was impressive as I am considerably tall for a Titan. Yet he was built much more powerfully than any Titan I had ever seen. His shoulders were broad, and his arms were thick. His hands, though, they were gentle.”

She looked away from Gaelin as she thought back to her first close encounter with Andrill. “When I placed hands upon him to better see his face, he handled my own with surprising care. His face was rugged, with a mane of hair around his mouth and cheeks. His hair was of a golden shade of brown. And his eyes were green. I had never seen green eyes before on anyone.”

When Annallya looked back up, she found Gaelin fixated upon her. He remained silent as he walked back into his house, emerging moments later with a small glass vial. The vial contained a seasoning of some kind, which he sprinkled sparingly into the cook pot. “Pull up a seat and we’ll talk.”

There was already one wooden stool by the fire, but she could not see another. Looking around, Annallya spotted a rock with a flat side to it. It was about as tall as her calves and just as wide. To a human, it would have taken two men, struggling, to lift it. Annallya, making sure that Gaelin wasn’t looking, grew to about 15 feet tall, picked the rock up as if it were an empty basket, and set it down opposite the stool. Gaelin for his part didn’t seem to notice this. He just went about, gathering bowls and spoons, and extinguishing the fire. Before long, the two of them were sitting opposite the other, enjoying the soup in relative peace.

“Is this truly where you live?” she asked.

Gaelin looked up from his meal at her. “It is.”

“Oh . . .” was all she said.

“Something wrong with it?” he asked.

Annallye shook her head. “No, no!” she said quickly. “Not at all. I just . . . it is just small.”

“How observant of you to notice.” he replied.

“Are . . . are all human dwellings this small?” she asked again. When Gaelin only nodded she tried to press on in an attempt to make some form of conversation with him. This was the first human she had met that would actually talk with her.“Do you prefer it this way? Living in small houses, I mean. Do you prefer it because you are so small?”

He spoke without looking up from his bowl. “We build the best homes we can with what we have. Our homes aren’t as grand as the palaces you have back in Thylara, but they’re enough to allow us to survive another night.” His voice dropped to a mutter that was still audible to Annallya. “Stars forbid any of you Titans would offer us shelter and safety, or at least leave us alone.”

“What are you talking about? We do offer you shelter and protection.” she protested, becoming a little defensive. “It is no fault of ours that your kind is too proud to accept our generous offer.”

This time Gaelin did look up, and there was an intensity to his eyes that betrayed the quiet of his voice. “What you offer is slavery and imprisonment. What’s worse is that you don’t even offer. We have no choice.”

“For the last time! I know not of what you are talking about!” she shouted back.

Gaelin’s eyes scanned right over her before looking back towards the ground. Annallya dropped her eyes too. What was she thinking! She had come here to speak to humans, befriend them if it were possible. Yet here she was screaming her head off like a spoiled little girl whose doll had been taken from her. Neither of them spoke for the longest time. She was beginning to fear that she had just ruined her chances of getting to know him.

“Why do you wish to meet a human?” he asked at last.

Annallya swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat as she considered her answer carefully. “Since I can remember, I was taught that humans, especially men, were savage animals. My mother told me that we leave them alone, for the most part. However, if a Titan wishes, she may rescue a human and raise it. Care for it by giving it food, a home, and love that it cannot receive in the wild.”

She paused for a minute to check his expression. Gaelin’s face betrayed nothing of his emotions. “You believe that?” he asked.

She nodded. “I had always believed this until recently. While I was walking outside of the city, I saw a . . . a family, I suppose they were, travelling together through the woods. They did not behave as the heartless animals I had believed they were. Quite the opposite in fact. What I saw betrayed everything I had ever been taught about humans. I did not think anyone would believe me if I spoke of what I saw. I decided that the best way of which to learn the truth would be to visit where humans come from, and see for myself.”

He nodded as if he accepted what she said for truth. “And what would you do with this information once you had it?”

This gave her pause. Annallya had not considered what she would do once she actually learned what humans were like. In fact, she had not even thought of doing anything with that kind of information. Then again, was it not her responsibility? If humans were different, more civilized, than she was taught to believe, would it not be right for her to make a difference? For years Titans have kept humans as pets only because they were taught it was right. But if it was a lie, would she do anything about it? Could she do anything about it? It would be just her speaking out against an entire city, an entire nation. And what if they turned out to be the savages she had always heard they were? Could she, in good conscience, leave them to kill and eat each other? What would she do? Gaelin needed an answer, though. Closing her eyes, she thought carefully, before deciding on what to say.

“I do not know what I could do to help anyone,” she said before looking him in the eye. “However, I swear I shall not betray you. Under sun and stars I swear.”

Gaelin was silent for a long time as he stared into the fire. Annallya took the time to finish her stew. It was surprisingly delicious for being something prepared in the woods rather than in a kitchen. She found herself wondering if he would object to her having another bowl.

“What you seek is foolish,” Gaelin abruptly said.

Annallya shrugged. “Perhaps it only seems foolish because neither human nor Titan have tried to speak with one another.”

Gaelin considered her words for a long time it seemed. “Did Andril make that practice sword for you?”

“He instructed me in how to make it. The actual crafting was done by my hand.” she told him, with the tiniest trace of pride. Annallya had always wanted to try her hand at a craft, and this was her first actual attempt. Gaelin walked over to where Annallya had propped the sword and inspected it.

“Why do you want to learn swordplay?” he asked.

“Because I cannot learn from the soldiers in Thylara.” she explained. “Their style is too rigid and cumbersome for my abilities, meager as they are. I find it unnatural to hold a sword in one hand, and a shield with the other. I find it much more comfortable to grip the hilt with both hands. No Titan in Thylara fights in such a way, yet Andrill has told me that you do.”

Gaelin gave a slight nod, and tossed the practice sword to her. Annallya rose and caught it neatly in her hand, only find that Gaelin was running at her with a single stick in hand. Caught off guard, Annallya barely got her practice sword up in time to intercept a strike at her head. But she was quickly forced back by a second strike to the body, which she also managed to block. A strike to the legs from Gaelin caused her to lose her balance, so she was unable to block the strike that hit her squarely across her left arm.

“Blazing embers!” she swore. “What has come over you!”

Gaelin gave no response. He only watched as she rubbed her sore arm, before he launched into another attack. This time Annallya attempted to meet him blade for blade. There was a sharp CRACK as her bundle of lathes struck against the unstrung bow Gaelin had used for a sword. His movements, though, were much slower than the soldiers she had sparred against. With her frustration rising as her arm continued to throb in pain, Annallya went on the offensive. Using both hands and the methods taught to her at the academy, she launched strike after strike at the wild man. Her attacks were quick, with as much strength behind each one as she could muster. Yet somehow, Gaelin seemed to turn each one aside without much difficulty. He did not meet her with raw strength as the instructors in Thylara would have. Rather he seemed to use only the barest amounts of strength to guide her strikes astray. Before Annallya could even comprehend how he had done it, Gaelin reversed their roles so that he was back on the offensive, while she struggled to hold back his onslaught. She received another welt on her shoulder and her thigh. This only fueled the fire in her belly. Annallay tried for one last overhand strike, and brought her sword down with all of her strength. Gaelin reacted as if a switch in his mind had been turned. His arms, which had before moved slow and easily, suddenly blurred with a speed Annallya had never seen before. He met her attack with an underhand, upwards strike that hit the handle of her sword just as it had begun to descend. The result was that Annallya’s practice sword flew from her hands and landed a few feet from her.

She looked in disbelief at the man who stood so calmly and relaxed, while she was breathing heavy and her arms hurt. Perhaps Andrill had been right about him. A wild animal had just outclassed her in single combat by sword, something she had been trained in for almost a year, using an unstrung bow.

Gaelin lowed the bow and nodded in satisfaction, more to himself than to her. “Alright,” he said slowly. “I’ll teach you.”

Annallya gasped in both exhaustion and surprise. “Do you mean that?”

He nodded. “Andrill saw something in you. I don’t know what, but I want to see it too. Be back here tomorrow, and I’ll see what I can do.”

Before he fully realized what she was doing, Annallya had run over and seized Gaelin in an embrace of gratitude. “Thank you truly Gaelin Val’ Saida! I swear to you I shall be a good student to you.”

Gaelin, who had been caught completely off guard by the display of affection from a Titan, grunted and pried his arms free. “Just . . . call me Gaelin. It’ll be a whole lot shorter.”

Annallya, realizing what she had done in the spur of the moment, quickly backed away from her new teacher and bowed respectfully. “Very well then Gaelin.” she spoke in a more even tone. “I thank you for your offer of tutelage. I promise to obey your instructions to the best of my ability.”

He nodded at that. “Off with you then. I’ve things to do.”

Annallya bowed and thanked him once more. Then she headed home the way she had come, making sure to memorize the path so that she might find it again. Gaelin stood staring after her, wondering over what this would mean for the future. Him, teaching the art of swordplay to a Titan. An unusual and cruel form of irony the more he thought of it. Then again, perhaps this was the chance at redemption he had always prayed for. Only time would tell if the past could ever fully be forgiven and amended.